Puma Exploration has mobilised a second drill at its McKenzie Gold Project in northern New Brunswick, Canada, following the start of an initial 2,500-metre drilling program at the high-grade RIM Gold Zone on November 17, 2025.
This move comes after grab sampling at the RIM site in 2024 and 2025 revealed exceptional gold grades, with values reaching as high as 601.33 grams per tonne (g/t) gold — an indicator of the zone’s significant potential.
The RIM Gold Zone features a quartz vein system defined by a predominant shear vein to the south, which is mineralised along nearly its entire strike length, and a series of extension veins to the north spanning approximately 35 metres in width.
Importantly, this zone remains open in all directions, suggesting further potential for discovery and expansion.
The McKenzie Gold Project itself covers more than 33,660 hectares and lies along the McKenzie Fault, a major structural feature associated with numerous gold-bearing quartz veins, stockworks, and breccias.
The initial drilling targets the southwest segment of the shear vein, where surface sampling in 2024 returned the highest gold grades to date.
Early drilling progress includes eight short holes totalling less than 300 metres drilled so far.
These holes have intersected mineralised quartz veins containing disseminated sulphides embedded within mudstone.
Notably, hole MK25-03 intersected a quartz vein featuring multiple small visible gold grains, highlighting the high-grade nature of the mineralisation.
Currently, only preliminary logging of drill core has been conducted onsite, with the core scheduled to be transported to Puma’s regional coreshack in Saint-Quentin for detailed logging, sampling, and assaying.
The mobilisation of the second drill rig targets a newly stripped area in the northern section of the RIM Gold Zone.
This phase will focus on testing the extent and continuity of the northern extension veins beneath the surface with short drill holes ranging between 25 and 50 metres deep.
This expanded drilling program aims to accelerate the exploration of these newly identified gold-bearing structures. It builds on Puma Exploration’s strategy to advance its portfolio of prospective gold projects in Northern New Brunswick.
The McKenzie Gold Project and other assets, including the Williams Brook Project, are situated near the Rocky Brook Millstream Fault, a significant regional structure formed during the Appalachian Orogeny that controls gold deposition in the region.
In October 2024, Kinross Gold signed an option agreement with Puma to expand exploration on the Williams Brook property, demonstrating interest from major industry players in Puma’s northern New Brunswick holdings.
Puma’s ongoing surface exploration, including trenching and stripping, has significantly extended the known strike length of the RIM Gold Zone, nearly doubling it while revealing high-grade gold values and visible gold in several locations.
